


The Kings Game

by jokokekemato



Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-04-14 22:16:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4582119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokokekemato/pseuds/jokokekemato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the end of the game, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "The eyes of others our prisons; their thoughts our cages."

The glaring winter sun was just beginning to steam through the grimy windows, edges bordered with morning frost, when Daehyun was awoken by his father.

His blankets, thin and worn, did little to protect him from the chill air; he’d had curled up into a tight ball and cocooned himself in the swaths while he slept, creating a bubble of warmth in the center of his worn mat. Calloused fingers gripped at his bicep and shook. He grumbled, trying to sink back into slumber.

“It is time to get up, Daehyun. We must leave soon, or we won’t make a good distance before nightfall.” Another shake roused him enough to poke his head out from under the covers. Begrudgingly opening both eyes, he rolled onto his stomach and listened to his father’s footsteps retreat down the hallways, creaks following where the boards had begun to rot away. Stretching, arms above his head, his fingertips scraped wood and came away wet. Mildew had begun to gain territory again after their last attempt to eradicate it, creeping up the walls in dark clouds of mould. His breath fogged in the cold air. Daehyun had to steel himself before throwing his blankets back, immediately chilled, and scurry to the kitchen where his mother sang to greet the day.

 

♔

 

The fog rolling over the flat, carefully cultivated lands was just beginning to dissipate when he stepped outside, securing a heavy cloak around his shoulders. Curling his fingers close to his mouth, he kicked a foot through the soupy mist. Spots of light glowed in the distance as other families began to awaken. There were fewer than what he was used to; the farms with poorer or less able households had left at the first signs of trouble, travelling to distant relatives or finding refuge in the cities.

When the King had announced the plan to liquidize all individual farms and create larger, kingdom owned plots, it had been a shock to all. To complete such a task was ambitious -- some even said impossible. The reactions, too, had been varied on account of social and economical standing. Those who were wealthy and owned large crops and many livestock were unwilling to give up their livelihood in order to conform to the kingdom’s wishes. Others, poorer farmers who struggled to produce enough for their families, welcomed the change and the equality it promised.

Daehyun’s family had put off leaving for a while, but news had been trickling in from travellers that soldiers were beginning a march across the country, forcefully removing those who still lingered in preparation for the next stage of transformation. In light of the news, his father had announced their relocation. They would stay with their aunt, who resided in a mountainous area a few days from the capital.

He had visited once and found it unsettling. Used to the unbroken, flat landscapes of fields and constant interaction with those around them, he had gaped at the jagged peaks of rock and dense forests of trees and shrubbery. Strange animals prowled in the shadows, haunting calls keeping him awake at night. The houses there were spaced out considerably, due to the natural landscape. His aunt was entirely self-sufficient, growing her own food. Outside contact was abnormal and borderline discouraged. Their puppy at the time, a runt that had been rejected by his mother, was carried off by an eagle. The dread of returning to the barren, forsaken piece of rock filled him to the brim. He had been dismayed when his father had announced their destination, but understood the logic behind it; the mountainous region was of no use to their King. They would be so far removed from the rest of civilization that it was possible that they could evade the strict reign of control gripping the rest of their country.

A high-pitched whinny drew him from his brooding state. A flaxen horse tossed his mane in the light breeze and stamping a heavy hoof into the loam. By his side, a darker-coloured stallion grazed on the short tufts of grass that surrounded their paddock. Duma and Dador were twin brothers, foaled a few years after his own birth. They were strong and healthy, born from a well-bred line – Daehyun had unofficially claimed Duma, while his brother favoured Dador.

“Hello, Duma,” he greeted, brushing an open palm down the velvet length of the horse’s nose. From a half-empty bag, he fed a handful of oats and grain to each.

Once they had been fed, watered, and groomed, he yoked and led them to the wagon, half-full with what they would take on the trip. It looked pitifully small. His entire family’s life and livelihood, packed into boxes and crates. He would leave behind the meadow that burst into colourful flowers for a single week every year; he wouldn’t be able to visit the shallow creek with his brother on a leisure summer day; during harvest, he would no longer walk with Dura through apple groves, eating fruits forgotten by the pickers.

“Are you going to miss it here?” His brother, Daeju, dropped a sack of flour into the wagon and placed his palms in the small of his back, arching with a wince.

“Yes. I wish we didn’t have to leave.” If he closed his eyes, he could picture the scene before him, down to every last detail: stretches of dark soil, the first of the weeds bravely reaching upward, the weak sun battling through heavy clouds. He tried to ingrain the memory into his mind.

“We don’t. It isn’t fair, you know. They just come in and chase us out…” Daeju had bitterly protested the announcement of their departure, spending every opportunity denouncing the King and his advisors. His parents worried constantly about what he said and who he said it around, and with good reason – it only took one person to overhear something and report him to local authorities. And everyone knew what happened to those people; they had all seen the bodies.

 

♔

 

     Their farewells were short.

Very few were left to see them off, but they came with gifts and words of encouragement. His mother and father embraced each, gratefully accepting the presents of food and supplies, many of which was in short stock within their village. Daeju swept up his girlfriend and, hugging her tight, promised to send letters every week until they would meet again; from his pocket, he pulled out a delicately built necklace, a small blue gem swinging from a gold chain. She, in return, kissed him full on the lips and gave him the brooch that she often wore, pinning it to his shirt. The accessory, shaped like a blooming flower and featuring a single pearl in the center, shone against Daeju’s dirty work clothes.

Daehyun, who had no lover, said goodbye to his remaining friends and embraced every person who came up to him. Some offered him words of advice, others reassured him of the future; even more simply clasped his shoulder and smiled tiredly. The first few departures had been emotional events, with lots of tears and angry mutterings and pleads to stay. Now, as the population of their village dwindled, the act of leaving seemed to have become inevitable. He watched Daeju reluctantly part from his teary eyed girlfriend, a hand still lingering at the curve of her waist.

“You will see her again soon.” His attempt to comfort his brother was met with a stony glare as they mounted their horses.

“When? When the entire damn nation has been turned into a giant farm?” Daeju waved his hand at their surroundings, urging Dador into a walk. “The Kingdom doesn’t care about what we want. They only want what is best for themselves.”

 

♔  

 

    By the third day, he was convinced that they would never make it to their aunt’s place. A collapsed bridge had detoured them through a winding stretch of barren rock, wind flaying moisture from their skin and slate slipping from beneath their feet. The horses had a particularly rough time; they were used to solid ground and soft dirt, not the sharp, slippery expanse. The grass which grew from the cracks of rock was short and tough. Their only source of water was a glacial river, the surface seething with rapids. To make it worse, they were joined by hundreds of other travellers, all searching for safety within the city, and all turned away from the ruined bridge. The change of company would have been welcomed, if it was not for the slowness in which they travelled – it was impossible to pass one another on the thinner stretches. Many families were more occupied with surviving than helping one another. Daehyun had seen wandering children slip from the edge of the path, falling a distance before coming to a sharp stop at the bottom of some crevice, and watched as tempers arose. Shouting matches ensued, ending with both quarrellers retreating to their respective carts, stuck in close proximity. For the most part, Daehyun stayed with his own family, tending for Duma and helping his mother however he could.

The torture lasted for five days. On the sixth morning, news travelled down the line that there was a city in sight. Daehyun excitedly told the piece of information to Duma, who snorted and nuzzled against his hand, but it took another few hours before they were able to see the sight itself.

It was a miserably small town, nestled between two imposing hills, almost obscured by the layer of thick fog that hung over it. They were a great distance above the settlement. With the exception of a measly road leading to and from the town, green grass stretched like a dewy sea.

“The horses will be happy to see fresh grass, not the stubble that they’ve been eating,” his father commented from the wagon. His mother, who had contracted a migraine, lay in a pile of blankets with her arm over her eyes.

“Hopefully there will be lodgings for us, and a paddock for the horses.”

“Soft beds.”

“Fresh meat.”

“Cooked vegetables.”

“Warm bread.”

“Stop,” his brother broke in. “You’re making me hungry.”

    

It turned out that there were beds available from the locals. A newly-wed couple, Helen and Gray, offered Daehyun and his brother the attic while their parents stayed in the guest bedroom. With Duma and Dador let out to graze in the pasture, given a warm dinner of mash and oats, brushed down thoroughly, and put in the town stable, Daehyun was finally able to relax. He soaked in a hot bath until he felt that he had chased the cold from his bones, ate with his family and their hosts, and then fell onto the mat provided for him. It was made of stuffed straw and thick blankets, the musty warm smell of drying herbs and old wood lulling him into unconsciousness. By the time Daeju joined him, a bare minute later, he was already asleep.

 

♔

 

Their parents decided to stay in the tiny town for another few days, on account for his mother coming down with a bad bout of flu, and many of the travellers had already left by the time they began to reload their wagon.

“You will reach the city in a few days, but steer clear of the soldiers,” his father was advised, “and never leave your horses out to graze by themselves. You will never see them again.”

“Oh, really? I wouldn’t have expected that.” Daeju paused from his attempt to decipher an illegible map that had been used so much that the creases and stains obliterated entire roads.  He was being sarcastic, but in such a way that it was impossible to detect unless one had been exposed to his dry humour before. Daehyun stifled a laugh; his father gave no indication of hearing the derision.

Gray smiled mildly and ran a hand over the back of his shaved head. “Yes, well, things aren’t as safe as they used to be. But I suppose you will be okay, if your sister’s house is as isolated as you say.”

After another round of goodbyes and promises to visit again if they ever travelled the same route, Daehyun and his family set off.

    

It was a decidedly easier journey, now that they were by themselves. The sun shone bright and warm, and the road was lined with plenty of grass for the horses. They managed to cover the ground that they had missed from lingering in the valley, sleeping in the tiny, quaint cottages staffed by families that seemed to pop up every few miles. For the most part, they were alone; everyone they met seemed friendly, but carried an aloof wariness that prevented them from travelling together. Daehyun didn’t mind. He wasn’t as outgoing as the rest of his family, and would often linger with the horses while his brother introduced himself to the other boys, or his mother offered their leftovers to some other family, or his father helped fix a broken wheel axle.

The landscape around them slowly began to change, fields of dandelions morphing into stretches of coniferous forest: towering trees sporting dark green needles, moss covering every available surface, leafy green bushes sporting bright red berries, invisible birds chattering in the early morning, small animals running between trees and leaving tiny footprints everywhere. He had spotted a family of deer standing at the edge of the tree line, a huge stag with imposing antlers standing beside a slight doe and her small, white speckled baby; flocks of chickadees weighed down boughs of trees and chirped from dusk to dawn, creating so much noise that Duma flattened his ears against his head.

“If those birds weren’t so small, I would suggest we eat them, simply to lessen the infernal noise.”

Daehyun grinned at his brother. “I like it. They’re having conversations.”

Daeju grunted. “They can have their conversations elsewhere, away from my sore ears.”

With a laugh, he turned forward, eyes scanning the horizons. Beyond the trees, the massive mountains pierced the blue sky, guiding their way towards their aunts’ house.


	2. Chapter 2

He smelled the fire before he saw it. A dark plume of smoke rose from behind a wall of trees, curling lazily into the blue sky. When he pointed it out to his brother, Daeju merely raised an uninterested eyebrow and continued penning his latest letter to his girlfriend, which would join the stack piling up to be mailed at the nearest opportunity. The sight wasn’t anything new, but it interested Daehyun because it was so far from the main road, and it was unusual to have a fire burning in the middle of the day. Telling his brother that he was going to check it out and only receiving an occupied hum in response, he gently nudged Duma off the path and towards the smoky pillar.

The temperature dropped the second they entered the wooded area, the trees casting cool shadows and only allowing meager sunlight through the densely packed canopy. Duma picked his way over fallen logs and small streams, stopping to munch on a mouthful of flowers or drink from puddles of water. Slipping from the saddle, Daehyun led them through the forest. His shoes sunk into the moss floor, his fingers coming away wet when he dragged them over a cluster of blue flowers. Before long, he spotted a break in the trees and sunlight.

It was a paddock. Two horses grazed, fenced in a square of white planks. One was large and powerfully built, a dark chestnut stallion, and the other a female farm horse, light brown speckled with white down her sides. They both looked up at the sound of his approach, ears swivelling and tails flicking. The stallion snorted threateningly, kneading the ground with a hoof, but the female wandered over, stopping a few feet away to bite the head off of a yellow dandelion.

Behind them, a mansion grew from the ground. It was three stories tall, at least, and looked like it had been there for centuries. Strings of ivy climbed the dark stone walls, flowers dripped from the grates in front of the glistening windows. Turrets broke from the gently sloping roof, moss nestled in the shadows where the sun wasn’t able to reach. The smoke was coming from the house, and he could see a matching one from a smaller, less decorated building. Perhaps it was the house of a politician, or a vacation home for some rich citizen who wanted to have a change of pace from city life..

“Psst,” he whispered towards the mare, hesitantly holding a hand out towards her. She nickered, slowly plodding forwards, and he gently rested a hand on her muzzle, stroking upwards. “Hello there,” Daehyun cooed, “you’re a pretty horse.”

It was obvious that she was well taken care of: her short coat gleamed, her eyes clear and bright. Daehyun ran a hand down her side, noting the slight roundness of her stomach, and over her mane. His fingers caught in a knot of hair. Crooning to soothe her, he carefully began to work it out, teasing the snarl apart.

“Hey!” The accusing shout caused him to jump back, accidentally pulling on the mare’s mane. She shook her head and trotted away, revealing a young woman standing on the other side of the fence.

On first glance, Daehyun mistook her for a noble woman. Her hair was glossy and hung against her shoulders, lips plumped in displeasure and eyes narrowed haughtily. But she wore plain clothing and her hands were dusted with flour: a servant, although clearly a well-treated one. Or a mistress, sent to live in the luxurious home for the pleasure of her man.

“ **Hey**!”  She yelled again, striding around the fence towards him. Momentarily panicked, he debated making a break for the forest and Duma, but it was a risk he couldn’t take. One wrong step and his horse could slip on the wet moss, resulting in a broken ankle or worse. Glancing nervously towards where he had left Duma, he waited for her to approach.

Closer, he realized how short she was. She barely cleared his shoulder but cut an impressive figure, hands on her hips and clearly irritated.

“Who are you? What are you doing with Eleon?” Her voice was shrill with indignation; she spoke with a city accent, all sharp consonants and long vowels. Daehyun, who had spent enough time around city officials to emulate their way of speech, modified his drawl in the hopes of creating a better impression of himself.

“I… uh... I’m D-Daehyun, and I was just… I was just looking at her. I wasn’t doing anything bad.” His response was a stuttered mess, but her gaze softened slightly. Ducking his head, Daehyun muttered a string of apologies and began to back away, intending on disappearing as soon as possible.

“Stop. Don’t move.” He froze reluctantly.

“You’re going to see Yongguk. He will decide what to do with you.”

“Please,” Daehyun pleaded, blanching at the prospect of meeting the man of the house. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to see the horse. I wasn’t going to steal her or anything.”

The woman blinked, sympathetic, but turned around and walked towards the house like she expected him to follow. He did, chewing on his lower lip.

They passed through a gated trellis covered in green vines and blooming purple flowers--clematis, if he remembered correctly--and along the side of the house. A wide stream cut across the grass, lined with perfectly round stones, and led to a pool. He could see the shadowed shapes of koi swimming below the surface. The mansion was situated at the top of a sloping hill, which levelled out into a vegetable garden. A paved driveway led from the front steps all the way to a tall metal gate.

A single figure sat at a wooden table, his face turned away from them. Daehyun stared. The man’s posture was rigid, shoulders square and chin up. His hair was cut short, and a light coating of stubble covered his cheeks and chin. He wrote in a book, each word careful and precise, stopping to consult a pile of papers spread in front of him every few sentences.

Daehyun hadn’t realized that he had stopped until the woman prodded him in the ribs, grabbing hold of his ratty shirt sleeve and forcibly pulling him forward. The man – Yongguk – wore pressed pants and a simple sweater, and the woman, although dusted with flour, was clean. In comparison, he hadn’t washed in a few days and his clothing threadbare, stained with dirt and grass. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, oil slicking his fingers.

“Heh- _hem_.” It took a deliberate clearing of the female’s throat and a sharp kick to Yongguk’s chair before the male looked up, annoyance drawing lines across his forehead. Closer, Daehyun saw that he had a white scar on his right cheek, slicing downwards to somewhere close under his ear. His fingers, stained blue-black with ink, brushed over the documents he consulted. They had the military insignia stamped on the top.

“Hyosung.” His voice was a deep timbre; he enunciated each syllable. “Who have you brought?”

She nudged him until he shuffled forwards, staring at the ground. She said, “I found him at the back. He was petting Eleon, but I thought that I should bring him to you.”

Eventually: “Your name?”

“D-Daehyun, sir.”

Hyosung snorted.

“What, may I enquire, were you doing with my horse?” With his eyes lowered, he saw Yongguk begin to pack up, shuffling the papers into a neat pile and binding his book shut. Daehyun took a deep breath, in the hopes that his voice wouldn’t shake.

“I was petting her.” His mouth tasted sour.

“And how did you manage to find my house?”

He forced the words from his mouth, “I was travelling with my family and saw smoke from the road. I wanted to see where it was coming from, so I followed it towards the paddock.”

The wooden chair groaned as Yongguk stood up. Daehyun dared to peek up and met the man’s stare. It was flat and blank, like he was just another problem that needed to be resolved. He was almost half a head taller and he carried the heavy weight of authority; he was the sort of person that Daehyun would avoid in normal circumstances.

Silence reigned and he was just about to wither under the calculated gaze until Yongguk said, “we’re going to go see the horses.”

So they went. Yongguk led the way and Daehyun walked behind him and Hyosung bustled after.

Both horses were still there, although they stood at opposite ends of the field. The stallion whinnied a greeting at Yongguk, prancing forward towards them. He was, undeniably, a war horse – muscles rippled under his flank and he held his hooves high.

“Cadaztir.” Yongguk snapped his fingers, and the horse came forward. With a self-assured hand, the male brushed back his mane and patted his neck, releasing him a minute later. Eleon, having watched the interaction, came forward once the stallion was gone, blowing air through her nose and pushing her muzzle against Yongguk’s hand.

Daehyun watched silently, nervously. Yongguk stroked a hand over her nose and down her body. After a second, he realized that the other was checking for any injuries that Daehyun may have left. The quiet was unbearable. He scrambled for something to say.

“How far along is she?”

Yongguk glanced at him, impassive.

“I mean, how pregnant is she?”

“She is not pregnant.”

Daehyun shifted and opened his mouth and then closed it. And then opened it again. “Sir, I’ve been around horses my whole life. I know if a mare is in foal.”

With a sharp turn, Yongguk faced him. He looked past Daehyun, towards Hyosung, who was hovering nearby. “It is impossible, because I’ve given Hyosung and the others strict instructions not to allow Cadaztir and Eleon to breed.”

Hyosung, under the two stares, let her eyes drift towards the horses and then snap back to Yongguk. With a huff, she pointed a finger at the male.

“Well, Yongguk, I would like to see _you_ try and pull your war horse off of Eleon! I do a lot around here, but I refuse to stand between a stallion and a mare in heat.” Yongguk’s jaw tightened, visibly.

Before anyone could catch Daehyun’s pleased smirk, he turned away. The dark chestnut horse stood a distance off. Circling the fence, he edged closer. Cadaztir was watchful but allowed him to approach, until he was within arms distance. He held himself still, making sure that he could be seen. The stallion stepped forward to sniff him, warm air tickling his palm, and then walked away. Daehyun released a held breath.  

Yongguk and Hyosung were watching him. Yongguk, as he had come to expect, had no expression on his face; the female looked incredulous.

“What?” Daehyun asked, flicking his gaze between the two of them.

“It took me three months before that snobby horse let me get that close.” Hyosung tossed her hair to the side.  “And after all those carrots I fed him.”

With a cough, Yongguk drew the attention back to him. His glance at Hyosung seemed almost amused, but it flickered away once it turned to settle on Daehyun again.

“You said that you’ve been around horses your entire life?”

“Yes. Back at home, I took care of the horses of the noblemen and rich people that stopped in our town.”

Yongguk nodded once, thoughtful. Somewhere within the trees, Duma whinnied. The other male turned towards the forest, a single eyebrow raised. Daehyun flushed.

“My horse, sir. Is it… am I allowed to go, sir? My family will be worried soon, if I am not back.”

“Where are you and your family travelling?” Opening the gate, Yongguk clicked his tongue and Cadaztir trotted up.

“To the city, and then to my aunt’s place. We were displaced, because of the new farming plan…” The other nodded, like he had already expected the answer. Fetching a saddle that was lying by the fence, he began to dress his horse.

“I will be coming with you, to meet your family. Go get your horse. Hyosung, go with and make sure that he doesn’t run off.” Yongguk finished tightening the straps around his horse and lifted himself up, sitting upon Cadaztir with the self-assurance of experience.

The image of Yongguk, proud and distinguished, meeting his family made him shiver. Would he demand compensation for his trespassing? Daehyun had heard the stories of police brutality: the beatings, the humiliations, the threats and rapes and robberies. Slim fingers wrapped around his wrist, tugging. Hyosung began to pull him towards the trees and he followed automatically, eventually overtaking her. Duma was where he had left him, legs folded under him. He scrambled up, once Daehyun approached.

“Hey, Duma.” Blowing against Duma’s nose, he freed the leads from the tree and guided him towards the paddock, where Hyosung stood. She rose an eyebrow.

“No attempts to run away or beg for me to let you go?” she asked, waiting until Daehyun swung himself up into the saddle before beginning to walk back to Yongguk. Duma shook himself out and ambled behind her, swinging his head to the side to look at Eleon.

“I don’t see any point,” he sighed, “since I’m sure that Sir Yongguk knows the surrounding area better than I, and Cadaztir will easily be able to outrace Duma.”

Hyosung laughed, high and amused. “At least you can think. The last person who tried to escape Yongguk… didn’t end up so lucky.”

Her words didn’t soothe him much.  

» His brother spotted them first, walking back the way that they had come. When he spotted Daehyun, his hand raised in greeting and he kicked Dador into a faster clip, shouting his name.

“Hyung!” Momentarily forgetting about Yongguk, following at a slower pace, Daehyun urged Duma faster too.

“Daehyun.” A hand reached out, too fast and dark for him to see it, and cuffed him over the ear. “You _scared_ us!”

“Excuse me.” The sharp beat of Cadaztir’s hooves on the dirt path signalled Yongguk’s arrival, all aloof politeness and cool superiority. “I take it you are this boy’s brother?”

Daeju gave him the “what have you done now?” glare, mixed in with the panicked “is this an official?” stare. “Yes, I am. Who are you?”

When he was younger, Daehyun had always loved listening to his older brother speak. His voice was loud and confident, always knowing the proper things to say, from threatening away the group of boys that had thrown rocks at Daehyun to comforting him in the midst of a thunderstorm, when he felt that the house was going to shake apart above their heads. Now, Daeju’s voice seemed weak and uncultured next to Yongguk’s crisp accent.

When Yongguk rode up to them, Cadaztir towered over their sturdy little farm horses.

“I am Corporal Yongguk, and your brother was caught trespassing on my territory. I wish to speak to your parents.”

“About?”

“Something.”

“What kind of something?”

“A something that does not concern _you_.”

Daeju’s hands tightened on his horse’s reins, jaw moving back and forth as he warred between blocking the way or letting Yongguk pass. He might have argued, if it was not for Daehyun’s stomach suddenly growling in the tense silence; he hadn’t eaten anything besides breakfast and a quick snack of dried meats throughout the day. Ducking his head in embarrassment, he heard Daeju sigh and roll his shoulders back, scratching at his knuckles the way he always did when he was irritated.

“Fine.” Swinging Dador around, he started back, twitching a finger to call Daehyun over. Daehyun nudged Duma until the horses were walking side by side, leaving Yongguk to follow.

“What happened?” his brother hissed the instant they were out of earshot from the other man.

“There’s a huge house--that’s where the smoke was coming from--and I was petting one of the horses that were there... and then this woman caught me and took me to see Sir Yongguk. And then he demanded that I take him to see Mum and Dad. I didn’t have a choice,” he whispered back, finally allowing anxiety to creep in. Daeju would know what to do. He always managed to fix things.

“Do you know what he wants?” The sound of approaching hoof beats grew louder; Daehyun shook his head and twisted around in his saddle in time to see Yongguk join him on the other side. When he stared at the male, his features shadowed and severe in the setting sun, Yongguk turned to stare back.

Two figures stood on the road in the distance; his mother was already making her way towards them, while his father stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Hanging his head, Daehyun slid off of Duma and straight into the warm, tight embrace of his mother. She squeezed too hard, crushing him to her chest. When she pulled back, her eyes flickered towards Yongguk, who was watching, and then back to him.

“You had me very worried,” she scolded, “especially after wandering off like that. Daeju was coming to look for you!”

“I’m sorry, Mum,” he apologized. She patted his cheek; all was forgiven.

“And who have you brought along?”

Yongguk gave the same introduction that he had given Daeju. To her credit, his mother didn’t blink. With the cool, efficient manner of an experienced host, she invited him to their makeshift camp for tea. Yongguk accepted.

The corporal looked out of place, surrounded by his family and their meagre belongings. Sparks flew from the small fire that they had made, the gold rings on Yongguk’s fingers catching the light. His hands, large and elegant, looked too high-class to be wrapped around one of the chipped mugs that they had brought along, the paint long since faded. He sat tall and upright, eyes alert, while his mother bustled around and his father watched. Daeju poked at the fire in sullen silence, angry that they were entertaining someone who had contributed to their evacuation of their farm; Daehyun leaned against the wagon wheel, a blanket piled high in his lap, trying to stare at the other as furtively as possible. Every few minutes, Yongguk’s eyes would flick towards him and he would look away, glaring at the sky or Duma or the ground until he felt him look away again. And so the pattern continued, until his father cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention.

“You said that you came to talk to us,” he started gruffly, “about Daehyunnie’s trespassing. I’d like to apologize on his behalf – he’s a curious boy, but I’m sure he meant no harm--”

One of Yongguk’s elegant hands rose; his father fell quiet. The man took a sip of the weak tea that they had made of herb leaves – no sugar, no milk – before beginning to talk.

“Yes, I am aware of that. I’d like to take your son--”

“No! We would never allow that-“

“--and employ him within my household.” Yongguk turned to look at him, amidst the chaos. “Daehyun, you seem to have a keen eye for horses; you knew that Eleon was in foal before I did, and Cadaztir seems to trust you, even though it is a hard path to gain his full confidence. Of course,” he addressed Daehyun’s father, “he will receive lodgings and food, and a monthly pay. I do not know where you are travelling, but if you are heading to the city, you will find it grossly overpopulated and riddled with crime. I’m certain it would be easier for you, with one less mouth to feed and a steady income.”

“We will have to speak about this.” A hand tugged his elbow and Daehyun allowed himself to be pulled up by his older brother, allowed himself to be herded towards his mother and father, who were already furiously whispering to each other.

“We can’t leave him here, so far away--”

“It will at least be safe for him-“

“He’s a _corporal._ That means he works for the Kingdom--”

“I want to stay.”

All eyes turned to him: his mother’s, wide and worried; his father’s, tight and grim; and his brother’s, furious and betrayed. Daehyun straightened his shoulders self-consciously, and looked back to where Yongguk still sat, sipping at his tea.

“If we all go to aunt’s house, we won’t have any money. We can’t just live there forever, right? And if he wants me to take care of the horses, I can do that. I’m good at it. Besides,” he took a deep breath, “I like it here. I don’t _want_ to go to the mountains.

“Daehyun,” Daeju leveled him with a serious look, “you know that if you get hurt, or he kicks you out of the house, we won’t be able to come get you immediately. You’re going to be at _least_ a five days’ journey from us.”

“I know. But I want to stay. I’ll be more helpful here than I would be with you guys.”

In the end, it was impossible to convince him otherwise; Daehyun had already filled his head with images of waking up to the sight of the mountains around him, taking care of Eleon and Cadaztir, and making enough money to send back to his family. It made the most sense to leave him and even his mother, who clung to him and wept, couldn’t deny that.

Yongguk had finished his tea by the time they came back, and he was petting a stray kitten that Daeju had found. She purred in delight, rubbing against him, leaving trails of fur all over his clean shirt. He looked triumphant when they returned; he had already anticipated the answer, and knew that he would get what he wanted. Daehyun ran his knuckles over his lower lip and looked at the tree line, the setting sun ablaze behind it, burnt orange turning the landscape into something magical.

“I’ll stay.”


End file.
